1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the mounting of a workpiece with a wedge shaped spline and a divider track. This wedge shaped spline and installation method is particularly useful in the installation of laminate flooring, moldings, and other decorative items.
2. Description of the Related Art
Commercially available laminate flooring generally includes a wear surface glued to a substrate. The wear surface generally is high wear-resistant decorative laminate. The substrate generally is fiberboard or particle board. Each piece of laminate flooring generally has a groove along one end and one side suitable for joining with a tongue along one side or end of an adjacent piece of laminate flooring. Laminate flooring is commercially installed over a pad.
Aluminum divider tracks are commercially used for the installation of flexible molding, such as vinyl molding. This includes the installation of expansion and transition molding, end caps and reducer strips. Divider tracks are affixed to a floor and a rib on the back of the flexible molding is interlocked between a pair of flanges extending from the front of the divider track. Serrations extending along the rib and the interior surfaces of the flanges interlock for resisting the removal of the rib from the flanges. Molding can be installed by interconnecting it with a divider track without penetrating its decorative front surface with a fastening means or otherwise blemishing it.
There is a need in the installation of molding for securely affixing the molding without blemishing its decorative front surface. In the installation of laminate flooring, there is a need for molding covered with laminate that matches the pattern of the laminate flooring. There is a need for a method for installing laminate covered molding that does not blemish its decorative surface.